Week 4 Run Thread
Flipped my sessions this week so I could run with Tom Glynn today and bike again with him and Carrie Chavez tomorrow. So much nicer to do these with someone else.
On the docket: MS: 2 x 1.5mi (5') @ TP/Z4/Hard
Decided to make today a mini Race Rehearsal (RR) #1 for my half marry in less than 2 weeks. Did a 2/3/2 strategy. So instead of 2 x 1.5's I did a 1 x 3 miles.
WU
Mile 1- 9:07
Mile 2 - 9:20
MS
Mile 3 - 8:12
Mile 4 - 8:07
Mile 5 - 8:14
Avg. pace = 8:11 Just into Z4.
@Aleksander - remember in October I couldn't do the 20' 8:29 T pace from Daniels!? I was so pissed off! Looks like things have changed for the better! 
CD
Mile 6 - 9:03
Mile 7 - 8:42
Total of 7 miles in 1:03 including stops at street lights and a couple of micro breaks to drink. Felt good when done.
I will do one more of these this weekend but a 3/4/3. The 4 will be @ 8:20 pace. The last 3 will be everything I have left. ABP!
Comments
@John, I knew that you would unlock your runner innerself and that it will happen early in OS when you will have allowed all the work from this late fall to materialize. I know your physical fitness is there. Sometimes, our mental fitness needs a braketrough also. I am so glad that it came around. A lot of it has to do with you adapting the schedule to your need. I am excited and keep reading your workouts, awesome, you inspire me. Looking forward to reading more. Keep it up.
Big plans to run my 5K TT on the mall this morning, but woke up to sleet/rain/slush/ muck. Did it on the mill at the gym instead. LTHR 164. I'd been meaning to get a footpod for the Garmin since I have no faith in the mill's accuracy. But, I'm confident I at least went long enough and hard enough to get a valid HR number.
John- I agree with the others, that runner in you is really starting to show it's true colors! Nice!
Those are some serious numbers John.
@Patachin - Awesome job on the mill. It sucks when the outdoor plans get blown by mother nature.
I did my 1x2 today on the mill as well; we had rain/snow mix over night and skating rinks for roads this morning. My WU was a couple of 1/2 mile repeats at 8:05 and then I nailed both miles at 7:36 with 1/4mi recoveries at 8:35. Ran an additional 2 miles at 7:44 to wrap up the morning. I'm still struggling with energy during my runs, but today I was able to mentally force myself through (I still think it's the changed diet). Hopefully, more good runs to come.
Good Luck all.
Aaron
nice work! I am so relieved to see it's only 2x1 for me today... almost like a down week (after last weeks 2x1/2, 2x1) but I suspect they will still be painful...
Hopefully I can knock them out after work, but the weather is supposed to get bad so I might hit the grocery while I can (if I can) and then do tomorrow's ride tonight and will run tomorrow (there's a gym I can walk to if the roads are bad to run or drive).
@Patachin - I love to do my 5Ks at Hains Point... it's the perfect distance - I do half a loop to warm up, a full loop to test, then half a loop back to the car for my cool down.
Thanks Becky. I didn't think of Hains Point. Good call! I could definitely do that from my office.
2x1 where banged out nicely this morning only 10 hours after doing the 2x12's on the bike last night.
Since I ALWAYS hate to go out and run (I know, wheres the old positive mental attitude? I only find it *during* the main set somewhere), I thought I'd cruise thru the forum to get some mojo.
@ John - Good work I agree with AT, for you the mental thing is the primary breakthrough you are getting. Daniels' taught you that you could, so now you can!
@ Allen - I love seeing the consistency in your graphic workout report - you always hit the target, and do the whole set, every time.
@ Everyone - I was a bit sorry to read that you all are in week four, so it's 2 x 1 mi for most; I've gotta go out and get in 4 x 1 mi now, but I did get the motivation I needed from all the reports. Thanks!
Hit the target paces pretty well, about 10-15 sec under. Came up 2 mins short on total time due to an early turnaround when the trail went under another bridge and I was worried about getting lost (a later look at the map says I needn't have been worried). Also stopped twice...once at a water fountain and once to say hi to a guy who I happened to know (in Houston...small world...).
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/65274675
Cheers,
Matt
@Stark - WAY TO GO!
Enjoying the 2x1 miler with everyone else. 7:42/7:46 with a target of 7:44, focusing on ease and lightness, along with good form. Good run! Now, I just have to get the bike head game to learn from the run head game and this OS will be tons of fun. =-)
The mojo worked, I did my 4 x 1 mi with continued improvement - each interval session I'm getting faster. I know that's not protocol, I should just try and hit the pace, and then test to a new VDOT at 8 weeks. But going into the OS, I was coming off 12 + weeks of total rest, the first layoff longer than one week in my triathlon career, and my 5K test was 10% slower than I'd been doing. I figure I'm not going to get faster unless I go faster, and I know the speed is in there, I just have to help it come back gradually.
So every couple of weeks, I've been SWAGing my VDOT, just like some people are able to do with their bike watts. I can do that running, but not riding. Today I gave myself a new VDOT of 48 (47.6, actually). I think I've got about 8-10 sec/mile more I can drop over the next 4-8 weeks.
@ Mike G - so the above is my advice to you, if you feel comfortable sustaining the new pace at each and every workout coming up (peek ahead if you have to), then go for it. I think 60% of our performance in these run workouts is 90% mental, anyway. If you think you can, and you don't quit, you will. But that's assuming you are really keyed into all the signs of pace during intervals - breathing frequency, leg muscle sensations, ability to maintain form, HR, etc. I tend to run to what I know my body is capable of currently, not a prescribed pace.
BUT I am not recommending this for most folks. For those who have little or no experience in using hard intervals to increase base speed and running strength, the progression our coaches have laid out is best. I follow it to a "T" on the bike, as I have much less experience there in using watts to set and monitor performance. It works, it is (almost) painless, and it is unlikely to lead to over-reaching or injury. And I'd probably follow it for the run as well, except I am so danged mad at involuntarily losing my fitness last fall, and I want it back!
On the plan today was 4x800 (2'), it actually felt good throughout the whole workout today and the first two was a little easy, maybye I am getting faster?
Ended up with pretty decent run: 2x1mi (4') @ 6:45, 6:50, followed by 30min @ 8:00/mile.
Hoping for a snow day tomorrow!!
So I was on the TM and hit my paces just fine. I like being warm and not slipping. It's a trade off.
Al, thanks for the advice. I am going to do a few test runs to see how in-tune I am with my pace. May need to just do a 5k to prevent stupidity on my part, but I'm trying to be smarter this year.
Another treadmill run today, 7.5mi in 55min, IF .85, TSS 67.00, 2x1.5mi(5min) TP. Pace on target.
It was not easy, had to dig in the second to keep the pace. HR was below the top of Z4. Guess, legs getting little tired.
It was also a first run with Garmin foot pod, straight out of the box. That thing was unusable for me totally without calibration. The pace and cadence it was showing were way out of tolerances. I will attempt calibration on the road tomorrow.
It will be an interesting bike workout tomorrow, see how I hold up 2x12min.
Good night folks.
30 min run outside today- just easy, trying to get this whole calf thing sorted out. My left calf is a little twingy right now, so it's a good thing I've got the massage appt lined up for tonight to work on it.
OK, getting caught up here. Thanks for the "gazelle" and "cheetah" comments but I am just a big dude doing the best I can. I did have a great run today. See below.
@Al and Mike - Great to see the progress! Keep it going cuz I love reading your stuff! Very, very good mojo!
@AT - I would love a bit of your mental toughness. Man you are strong!
@Aaron - 7:36!? You are a rocket man!
@Patachin - Good work!
@Beth - The fast girls are in da Haus! That's you! :-)
@Zach - nice pacing, brotha!
@Allen - Ya, i love seeing data also. Keep posting!
@Peter - What can I say. Well done my friend!
As you may have noticed, I am flipping a couple of days each week as I want to focus on running this year. So I run Tues/Thurs/Saturday and bike on Wednesday and Sunday. Still doing the run workouts and adding a tempo day. And doing two of the 3 bike workouts but making the two that I do count. And being sure I get the longest intervals for the week in on each ride.
I ran a local loop today that I have run for years. ~6.4miles and ~ 700 of acsent over that distance. I am very happy to say that I run it today in my fastest time EVER. 57:42, or 9:02 pace. Previous fastest was 9:07. And this was after a BIG ass bike session yesterday with Carrie and Tom!
The difference today was that I ran the hills faster than in the past. So much so that I had to take a 30" micro break near the top of the last hill so I wouldn't fall over. I am a big dude so me and hills have a love/hate relationship. Mostly hate.
I am very happy and If all goes well on my half marry RR#2 on Saturday I will be pumped going into the half on Super Bowl Sunday!
workWORKS!
Time: 00:57:42
Distance: 6.39 mi
Avg Pace: 09:02 min/mi
Had to rejigger the whole week here because of snow and 2 days of power outages at home. Thought about whether I could backfeed the output from my bike trainer to power a couple lightbulbs at home. So.....ended up doing my 4x800 today (7:49/7:34/7:15/7:34/mi), dodging refrozen sidewalk black ice patches. Gym would have been a nice alternative, but no juice there either. Bike test tomorrow, assuming Pepco can deliver amps, brick Sunday. They say the hardest part is getting to the start line. This week it's merely getting to the workout!
@Jennifer - Good news about your legs! Take it slow and build your way back. Looking forward to watching your progress.
@Patachin/Becky - I am in awe of how much the weather is just merciless for you all back East. Just crazy!
After two great runs and a great bike this week I went out to do my RR#2 this morning for the half marry next weekend. Goal today was 3/4/3. First 3 miles @ 9:12's, next four at 8:30' to 8:40's and last three with what I had left in the tank. Next weekend will be 3/7/3.1.
These paces won't get me even close to a PR, but I am well on my way to getting there for events later in the year.
Woke up tired with no motivation. Resorted to a can of Monster Energy and that definitely got me going. But I could tell the two big runs and the bike this week had fatigued me. The first 7+ were great and hit my numbers! The last 2+ . . . not so much. The fatigue kicked in and I was done. Seriously done! Like "I just want to make it home" done.
Mile 1 = 9:15
Mile 2 = 9:11
Mile 3 = 9:11
Mile 4 = 8:29
Mile 5 = 8:31
Mile 6 = 8:37 >>started up a slight grade on a road
Mile 7 = 8:46 >>still going uphill - wheels started falling off
Mile 8 = 9:28
Mile 9 = 10:11 >> Shuffle of death
Mile 10 = 10:03
My cardio was fine throughout the run. But my legs we just done. Nothing left in them after mile 7. Not a "fail" day. It just is what it is.
597 TSS so far this week! That says a LOT for me.
Time to think about a nice taper this week so I am fresher on race day.
Rock on, everyone!